Slideshow: GM Debuts Pure-Electric Spark

General Motors rolled out the battery-powered Spark EV on Wednesday, marking the first time it has introduced an all-electric car since it scrapped the infamous EV1 a decade ago.

The $25,000 mini-car-sized Spark EV will be targeted at US and Asian buyers and is expected to help GM meet California's Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. It also reinforces a commitment to plug-in cars that GM has repeated over the last several years.

"We're taking what we've learned in the EV1 and the Volt and using it in the Spark," GM spokeswoman Annalisa Bluhm told Design News prior to the rollout at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Bluhm added that 40 percent of the components in the Spark's motor are used in the Volt motor and much of the Spark's battery technology builds on lessons learned from the EV1 and Volt.

The new five-door electric car will employ a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery from A123 Systems Inc. that will give the Spark "one of the best EV battery ranges in its segment," GM said. With its 130-hp permanent magnet motor, it will go from zero-to-60-mph in eight seconds and will be the first vehicle to employ the new DC fast-charging standard from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which will enable it to reach an 80 percent battery charge in 20 minutes at public charging stations. Using a dedicated 240V home outlet, it will charge in seven hours.

Inside, the vehicle will employ two high-resolution, seven-inch, color LCD screens; a MyLink radio for infotainment; and apps for navigation and global Internet radio.

The vehicle's 20-kWh battery is slightly larger than the Chevy Volt's 16-kWh battery and smaller than the Nissan Leaf's 24-kWh version. GM did not reveal the car's all-electric range, saying that it is awaiting EPA estimates.

The use of the A123 nanophosphate battery came as a surprise to some, given the fact that A123 filed for bankruptcy in October. GM had said in 2011, however, that it planned to employ an A123 lithium-ion battery. "The bankruptcy proceedings have no effect on the development of the battery," Bluhm told us.

Since announcing the Chevy Spark in late 2011, GM has said the vehicle will be partially targeted toward buyers in Asia, where smaller vehicles are more accepted. "When you get into the mega-cities and the shorter driving commutes that they have in those regions, the Spark EV might be a better fit than a vehicle like the Volt," a GM spokesman told Design News in 2011.

Industry analysts believe GM's introduction of the Spark EV is also an effort to comply with California's looming ZEV mandate. "There's an argument that they're selling them in markets outside California, so it's supposedly not just a compliance issue," Kevin See, an analyst for Lux Research, told Design News. "But the ZEV mandate really is the primary reason for rolling it out. Obviously, that's why it's coming out in California first."

The rollout comes at a time when battery-electric vehicles are still struggling. A study by J.D. Power released in November contended that American consumers still have little interest in EVs, and will continue to be uninterested for some time to come. Nissan sold just 6,791 Leafs through October, according to caranddriver.com.

See believes that the low sales figures will continue with the Spark. "My response is a shrug of the shoulders," See told us. "They're not going to sell a ton of Spark EVs."

Along with range, they didn't mention how that the car is heated or cooled. Isn't that a factor? I keep wondering about the draw from the heater/AC in an EV. But it is never mentioned.

I guess we could live with AC....I did while growing up and never minded. But here in the northern and mountain states a heater is a necessity half the year. For that matter, in parts of Calif. as well.

Nice to see A123 getting some use. It's ability many other Lithiums don't have of very fast charging is a good advantage.

The Cal mandate also applies to IIRC 13 other states that have adopted it.

Because of it's lighter weight, thus rolling drag, 20kwhrs might get it more than 100m mile range.

As far as range 60 miles handles 90% of US car trips easily. Yet all these need for this size EV is a 10kw generator for unlimited range. They all should have a space designed to use such as a well done one need only weight 50-70lbs or so.

I just built one at 4.5kw in 40lbs using a stock engine. Could even fit on a trailer hitch and owned or rented for longer trips would make it a one car small family, stident or retiree vehicle that costs little to run.

Not being from the West Coast, how does that mandate work? Do the manufacturers only have to have a certain percent of their fleet available as ZEV, or do they actually have to find buyers for a percent?

It is surprising that they are introducing this without mentioning range. While you can get away with waiting on some features, one would think that range is still one of the first questions that would be asked by anybody even remotely considering one of these.

Naperlou, many auto execs agree with you. Several of the vehicles coming out now are regarded as "compliance cars" -- cars that are being built to satisfy the California ZEV mandate. That would include the Fiat 500e (story to appear soon).

Thanks for the slide show! The interior looks great. Nicely done. The body, like most EV's and hybrids, is stale and unattractive. With the exception of the first car from Tesla, there's nothing inspiring on the road.

EVs have to do better than 100 miles per charge going forward. As a Californian, that may not be enough for a very busy day. Especially down south in the Los Angeles area. This is a BIG state.

Cap'n, just as the EV-1 was created to satisfy the California mandate, this one will as well. With a 20-kWh battery, the range will probably be under 100 mi. This is just a commuter car. I say this about the range by comparison with the Tesla Roadster, which has a 53-kWh battery. That car has a reasonable range, but you still have to worry about finding charging stations.

It is important for the car companies to build and sell these types of vehicles, if only to collect data on the type. On the other hand, you won't make money on them. Once battery technology improves dramatically, or fuel cells become practical, this will change. That may be a ways off.

Some cars are more reliable than others, but even the vehicles at the bottom of this year’s Consumer Reports reliability survey are vastly better than those of 20 years ago in the key areas of powertrain and hardware, experts said this week.

As it does every year, Consumers Union recently surveyed its members on the reliability of their vehicles. This year, it collected data on approximately 1.1 million cars and trucks, categorizing the members’ likes and dislikes, not only of their vehicles, but of the vehicle sub-systems, as well.

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

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